The paroled jewel thief who died in a shootout with slain Woburn police officer John “Jack” Maguire could become Mitt Romney’s Willie Horton should the former GOP governor run for president in 2012, some political strategists said.

But others say the circumstances are entirely different from the notorious furlough walkaway case that helped torpedo Gov. Michael S. Dukakis.

Two of six Parole Board members who unanimously agreed to release triple-lifer Dominic Cinelli, 57, from prison last year — Thomas Merigan Jr. and Candace Kochin — were appointed by Romney in 2004.

Mitt had an earlier “Willie Horton”-type problem too.

Romney, whose spokesman did not respond to requests for comment, faced accusations he was soft on crime during the 2008 race when a judge he’d appointed released Daniel Tavares Jr. from jail on personal recognizance — a man who’d served 16 years for hacking his own mother to death. Tavares was awaiting trial on new charges he assaulted two correction officers.

Four months later, Tavares shot to death Washington state newlyweds Brian and Beverly Mauck.

But those stories are nothing compared to Mitt’s problem with animal lovers. It was a supposedly “humorous” story about a family vacation told by Romney in an interview with The Boston Globe:

“Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family’s hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon’s roof rack. He’d built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog,” read the article.

Eventually,

“A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who’d been riding on the roof in the wind for hours,” the article said.

After his son noticed the liquid, Romney pulled the car over and hosed down Seamus at a gas station before putting him back into the crate on top of the car and continuing on with the drive.

Read the article to find out what kind of torture this treatment was for the dog.

Perhaps Romney’s Republican primary opponents will spread these stories far and wide. I hope so, because this man should never be President. But if he gets the nomination, I don’t expect the wimpy Democrats to use this stuff, do you?

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29 Comments on “Late Night Open Thread: What the Dems Could Hit Romney With If They Weren’t Complete Wimps”

I don’t know, Obama goes there. There’s also the fact that he made his wife live here for political ambition even though the climate aggravates her MS. I think that’s below the belt, far below, but nothing is off-limits for Away-With-Old-Politics-O. Combine that with his creepy affect, yes O shares that but there’s just something singular about Mittens, and it could be potent.

It depends. I don’t think he has any scruples whatsoever, so it would all depend on if he thinks it would work. He’s not going to do anything that would backfire and create sympathy for M. It would definitely have to be a wink wink I had nothing to do with it, I’m sure Mitt loves Ann despite his deplorable mistreatment of her type deals.

He makes Giuliani look polished and personable. Remember that time when Mitt and Giuliani were in the North End, and this guy comes up and wants to buy them cannoli and Mitt’s like, uh, whatever dude, no time for you? Lol Giuliani had to bail him out by putting his arm around the guy and gratefully accepting the cannoli. Standing with Mitt, he seemed almost human.

Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Speedy Trial
The Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial is applied to military jurisprudence through two separate and distinct provisions– Rule for Court-Martial (R.C.M.) 707 and Article 10 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) (10 U.S.C. § 810). While both provisions seek to protect the same constitutional right, and while there is considerable overlap between the two, each provision has separate rules regarding when the protections attach and when they are breached.

Tax experts said Monday that since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was not classified as a disaster, BP claims might be taxed at the highest rate.

Disaster tax rules do not apply, so tax experts said they are warning people, especially those who received compensation from BP, to be prepared for the tax that they need to pay in the coming weeks.

CPA Ted Stacey said, “If you were paid for lost wages or income, that’s going to be ordinary income that is taxed at the highest rate you pay. It could be as high as 35 percent for federal or 5 percent state.”

Many people might get shocked at what they owe the government, but 20-year-old Kyle Kikuchi, a busboy who received $2,500 from BP for lost wages, said he’s prepared.

Nice to know that billionaires get tax breaks but bus boys impacted by the worst natural disaster in US History don’t.

The real problem here is nobody has officially declared Obama a disaster.

I do know about the Mitt dog caper, and it disgusted me. The thing is, who wants to help Obama either?

The truth is, USA voters have run out of normal options. We are inundated with a gaggle of creepy, crawly, morally bankrupt and sociopathic scheeves for candidates. There isn’t a good piece of fruit left in the basket. We are now officially at a point where we are switching one sleaze for another. No matter what America does in 2012, it will be the wrong thing because there are no good choices–and I doubt that a real choice will drop out of the sky.

The worst part is we know who the best candidate was in 2008 and she remains the best candidate for 2012, yet the Collective of Scheeves will never let it happen. We will be left with two choices: Death By Fire or Death By Drowning.

I know. I think our political processes damages people so much that good ones won’t even attempt it any more. I still hold my one experience as an example. Never again would I subject my family to the horror that is the right to life movement. They are insane and the people they support or equally so. But that’s just one issue and one group. There are more out there. You’re encouraged to comprise from the get go to appease these types of insane people. Then it just gets easier and easier because you don’t want them stalking you, calling you, and being omnipresent. You have to beg for money continually and believe me, every big corporate guy that writes you a check gives you the same lecture. I’m not expecting you to vote my way all the time. What I’m expecting is access to give you my side of the story. In some weird way, about three lobbyists became a shield to me. One from the Choice group, one from UP Railroad, and another one that had a bunch of clients including tobacco. I was thrilled to have the police and firefighter unions because I felt protected from the worst of the right wing groups. The Chamber of Commerce guy was the personification of Mr Burns right down to those creepy hands. You can’t be a normal person and live in a situation like that. I can’t even imagine what the folks with national offices go through or the folks with statewide offices in big states. It’s a damaging process. You have to be a damaged human being to be successful and to stay in it so long. The ones that I saw that were the most successful are the ones that are knee jerk and not deep thinkers in terms of issues. They’re so convinced they’re right they don’t have to think about what they do. If you have a conscious, you’ll never make it. I don’t think we’ll have any choices for some time to come unless we change the system and I really don’t see that happening. I think you’re seeing guys like Lindsey Graham and John McCain become more orthodox in their positions because they have a completely insanely grass roots and party that makes them take over the top positions or else. This isn’t democracy any more. It hasn’t been for some time. That’s why most of what’s filtering to the presidential level of politics are candidates that are exactly as you describe.

Been there, sister.Serving in office is an eye opener. You need a shower constantly just to keep the grime off you. And if you don’t play, you have the added pleasure of watching your back perpetually. First come the bribes, and if that doesn’t work, then comes the threats, and if that doesn’t work, they will try to set you up. Being clean is a horror to these people. They just don’t know what to do with you, but whatever it is, it won’t be good.

God or whomever help me. I just can’t stand any of them. Every time another name comes up, I wince again. I think this is all moot because Newt will break everyone’s knees to be the candidate. He is raw slime and has a real megalo issue. I still say he will make sure he’s the candidate. Some choice. Obama or Newt. Death by Fire vs. Death by Drowning. I suspect I will be staying home in 2012.

Obama’s doing their dirty work and getting it done a lot easier than a Republican POTUS would, and they can blame him for continuing unemployment and the “suffering as far as the eye can see” that Krugman says this “recovery” will bring us.

McCain was a last-minute compromise candidate, so you’d be absolutely right on that one.
You know you’re screwed in an election when the state HQ is telling you things like “he’s really not that bad” as their promo line.

As disturbing as those Romney stories are, I don’t think they’d matter all that much. People like us are repelled by them but we’re not potentially his supporters.

I think he’s a tough sell because he’s so uncomfortable. People today like ease, even if it’s contrived as Obama’s is. And he seems like Dad; people want a pal. If Republicans want to win they’ll run someone like Scott Brown.

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